This was at first a nice addition to my collection of lenses. But after a couple of month I started to find the picture taken with it not so much interesting because of the distortion. But for low light and casual photography, if you're on a budget, you'll be happy with this one. Not as a photographe de mariage like http://www.creativeview-photo.com.

Dec 21, 2014

eduardvdkOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jun 9, 2013Location: NetherlandsPosts: 0

Review Date: Sep 30, 2013

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $420.00
| Rating: 7

Pros:

F-stop, weight.

Cons:

Autofocus sometimes slow.

I shoot weddings in Holland and other places in europe and I have been using this lens for some time now. Its weight is a very big plus, and the low F-stop makes it a lens that I pop out every wedding. I use it with off camera flashes for stunning light effects with a shallow depth of field, so cool.

I would recommend this lens since 1.4 can give such incredible depth of field, the 85 mm is also very nice at 1.4!

Sep 30, 2013

paparazzinickOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 8, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 7624

Review Date: Nov 12, 2012

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $350.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

sharp, great colors, fast

Cons:

needs fine tuning in camera

I shoot weddings in Pittsburgh and this lens has captured some of the best images I have ever taken. Check out some images on my site. There are a lot taken with this lens. I have owned all of the 50mm at some point.http://nbombichstudios.com

Nov 12, 2012

haringoOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 7, 2009Location: United StatesPosts: 12

Review Date: Apr 23, 2012

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $450.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

sharp, fast on the D3, great colors and contrast

Cons:

it would be aawesome the to have it in a 1.2 version. I love the creamy skin color it produces!

This is the lens which I keep on my D700 (and my D3). It start the day with it. I take it off when I need a different lens but it goes back immediately once I finished with the other lens. This and my 24-70mm are the two lenses I would never ever get rid of. Buy it if you are serious about photography! It is better than the other Nikon 50mm lenses except the 50mm 1.2 but the 50mm 1.2 is not an AF lens... This and the 24mm what I use when it gets dark.
You can see the difference the photos made with the 24-70 and this for sure: http://www.haringphotography.com/blog/
It is sharp and creates beautiful colors. I love the creamy skin color it produces!

Apr 23, 2012

jojomon11OfflineImage Upload: On

Registered: Sep 6, 2008Location: United StatesPosts: 7565

Review Date: Jan 16, 2012

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8

Pros:

quiet and sharp at 2f

Cons:

soft wide open, not what I expected, but focal length is pretty good

decent lens, I would think the 1.8 does the same, but cheaper

Jan 16, 2012

fotojevOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 13, 2010Location: NetherlandsPosts: 30

Review Date: Nov 13, 2011

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Robust, light weight, weather seal, good IQ, works with little light.

Cons:

A bit soft at F 1.4, a bit slow sometimes.

This is my standard lens for everything. What can I say more. It can be improved in several regards but in general it is very good especially given the relatively low price.

Very much recommended.

Nov 13, 2011

Digital GoldOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 17, 2011Location: United StatesPosts: 0

Review Date: Apr 17, 2011

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9

Pros:

sharpness, build quality, Nikon Prime Image Quality

Cons:

a bit slower than I expected

It's been said a million times but I'll say it again, The Nikon prime collection is some of the sharpest lenses out for Nikon cameras. The build quality is real nice as compared to the older 1.4 option and the cheaper 1.8 counterpart. The lens is a bit soft wide open but at f2.0 to f/3.5 it's MEGA sharp. I prefer my 85mm 1.4 to the 50mm 1.4 for some reason but that's just my personal preference. Great portrait lens for the money.

positives --the build quality is solid. the weather sealing is also nice to have, especially when using it with a weather sealed body like the D700. it doesn't break the bank. it's sharp from f2.8 onward (which is also a negative, incidentally). it's small and helps keep your rig relatively compact. it's OEM gear.

negatives -- the AF-S is slower than i had hoped; canon's ring USM (though the canon 50/1.4 doesn't have it) is a bit faster. the lens is (just like the canon 50/1.4) soft wide open, with low contrast. for me, f2.0 is the widest that i can shoot with this lens and get acceptably sharp images. 1.4 is only used if critical sharpness isn't necessary.

the main advantages of this lens to me, over the 1.8 version, are the build quality and weather sealing. both the 1.8 and 1.4 versions have to be stopped down to ~f2.8 to get critically sharp images, which is a shame, because the 1.4 costs nearly 4x what the 1.8 does. the AF-S drive is quieter than the 1.8's, but it's not faster (imo).

i'll keep this lens in my kit, but i welcome the day when the manufacturers finally create a 50/1.4 that is actually sharp wide open and has a snappy/accurate AF motor.

Jan 21, 2011

OCphotographyOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Aug 23, 2008Location: DenmarkPosts: 284

Review Date: Aug 9, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Razor sharp! Price, build.

Cons:

None!

Great walk around prime on FX. Perfect for portraits and low-light photography. Very sharp, AF works fast enough (though not fast as 24-70/70-200mm lenses, but still good.

It is definitely sharper wide then the previous model with much less flare and CA. The bokeh is beautiful. The bayonet hood locks well and is a welcome addition. Focus could probably be a little faster for and AFS but hasn't really been an issue.

Jun 2, 2010

palnaOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 8, 2010Location: DenmarkPosts: 0

Review Date: Mar 8, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Light, Sharp, Quick AF

Cons:

none

Mar 8, 2010

KliffOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Nov 24, 2009Location: N/APosts: 1

Review Date: Jan 28, 2010

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Sharp, very sharp wide open,good contrast, lightweight, inexpencive

Cons:

little too slow and sometimes hunting AF in low light on D3, some CA, nervous bokeh in some situations

Jan 28, 2010

wcl4OfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Aug 15, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 735

Review Date: Dec 23, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $365.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharp wide open. Not overly expensive.

Cons:

Some lateral CA. May require AF adjustment.

Having started with Nikon, then moving to Canon (full frame 5D) for a few years, and now back to Nikon again (D700), I have found the Nikon 50 1.4G AFS a nice change from the incredibly expensive L primes.

I've owned the Canon 50 1.4 and the Canon 50 1.2 and I prefer this lens to those two. The Nikon 50G has a nice build quality, not as nice as the 50 1.2 from Canon, but certainly nicer than the Canon 50 1.4. What I love about this lens is that it is sharper at 1.4, better contrast, saturation, overall coloration than the Canon equivalent. It's even sharper than the Canon 50L although the color rendition is not quite as nice, but fixable in post. And the kicker is it's 1/3 the price of the 50L. So though ~$400 isn't exactly cheap, compared to $1350 from Canon, it's a steal. I really didn't like the Canon 50 1.4 - it was soft wide open and the contrast was horrible. To me, the reason I buy these wide open primes is to do exactly that - use them wide open.

When I received this lens, I was pleasantly surprised by it's build quality. It doesn't have the cheap plasticky feel of some of the Nikon primes. It has a nice textured feel to the body. I've also bought the 35mm f2D and the 85 1.4D. The build of this falls closer to the 35.

On the D700, the proportions of the lens feels balanced on the body. It doesn't look disporportionately small like the 35 and not over large. The first shot I took at 1.4 was a little soft, but after spending some time with the AF fine tune, the lens is now tack sharp wide open. The bokeh on this lens has been impressive. I really like the look of the wide open shots. As I mentioned before, the saturation and contrast could be a little better like my 24-70 and 70-200mm VR II, but then again, it's a fraction of the price, and it is something I don't mind bumping up in post.

Overall I have been quite happy returning to Nikon. For the price of the 85mm 1.2L, I have purchased the 35 f2, the 50G, and the 85 1.4. Take note Canon how to make a nice lens without breaking the bank. I would highly recommend this lens and have no qualms about spending the extra money over the 50D based on build quality alone.

Overall I am quite pleased to be back with Nikon

Dec 23, 2009

AnxoOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jul 3, 2008Location: SpainPosts: 0

Review Date: Nov 10, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

It is a lightweight, robust and well-house made, at a good price. It is very balanced in performance, clarity and selective approach.

I used the old 50mm AFD, who say the new faster and mounted on my D700 I'm fast enough autoenfocar people moving efficiently. I compared pictures in the same space with the 1.2 AI-S and is just as bright, maybe for being a slow largest, with 58mm. All its features I think are good and more with the cheap price it has. I carry it always in my bag is light and bright, and always surprises me with excellent photos.

Nov 10, 2009

AdrianGBOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jul 9, 2006Location: United KingdomPosts: 87

Review Date: Nov 9, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $280.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

accurate focus, good build, handles well on d700, sharpens nicely at f1.8-2 but still good at f1.4, nice bokeh

Cons:

not fast AF, but very deliberate.

I was slightly concerned about buying because of reports complaining of slow AF, and poor bokeh.

The AF is not as fast as some AFS lens but it is very accurate. It suits my pace of photography, and locks on nicely to people even in low light. No complaints there - but if you should fast moving sports it might not be the lens for you.

Bokeh is really good. I have read a lot of complaints, but my images are coming out with smooth near round highlights, that are clean and incredibly pleasing. The nine rounded aperture blades really do their stuff.

I use the lens for outdoor night photography, and for general walk arounds. It is nice, light and compact on a d700 - It is absolutely perfect. All I need now is for Nikon to do a 35mm AFS lens and I'll be in clover.